1. Field
The disclosed aspects relate to wireless communication devices, and more particularly, to systems, methods and apparatus for wirelessly synchronizing datasets stored on the wireless communication device with corresponding datasets stored at a network site.
2. Background
Synchronization is the process by which a single file, otherwise referred to as a dataset, is synchronized between two or more devices. The process is carried out by automatically copying changes back and forth amongst the devices until the dataset is generally equivalent amongst the devices.
Synchronization of files or datasets is becoming more commonplace in the wireless environment. For example, a user's contact list stored on one wireless device can be synchronized with other wireless devices or with networked databases. Synchronization of datasets is especially beneficial in instances in which applications are used in an off-line mode prior to moving to an on-line mode, which triggers data exchange. An exemplary application includes electronic mail (email), in which a user inputs email during an off-line mode and the email is subsequently sent to network database once the device is returned to on-line mode. The synchronization process is also implemented in community-type environments, in which multiple users interact through a shared network database. For example, in the wireless environment, gaming communities, which allow users to participate in real-time video games, also provide for gaming information to be stored and shared at a central network database. Such community activities are also prone to use in an off-line mode, in which a user can make changes to the user's locally stored database and the changes are synchronized with the network database when the user moves to an on-line mode.
In one approach, synchronization can be conducted locally, by docking a wireless device, such as a personal data assistant (PDA) or the like to a docking device having a serial connection to a personal computer. This type of synchronization requires the wireless device and the computer to be in close proximity to one another. However, the advent of more powerful wireless devices has made it possible to remotely synchronize datasets over the wireless network.
Remote synchronization of data has been accomplished via Synchronization Markup Language (SyncML), which provides a common data synchronization protocol for wireless networks. SyncML relies on eXtensible Markup Language (XML) as the underlying carrier protocol for all SyncML communications transpiring during the wireless synchronization (“sync”) session. As such, multiple messages are sent between the wireless device and the network server during any one sync session. Additionally, the data structure of each message is large resulting in a high bandwidth requirement to exchange the messages. Thus, SyncML is a relatively complex synchronization process that necessitates the exchange of multiple messages, demands a large amount of network bandwidth, and requires a relatively long amount of time for completion. The complexity of the SyncML process, coupled with the limitations of cellular networks (e.g., potential loss of signal, bandwidth limitations, etc.), causes the synchronization process to be less than reliable. For example, failure to make a connection or dropping a connection during the synchronization process often results in the need to perform a full synchronization process. During a full synchronization process, the entire dataset is communicated to the wireless device or network, as opposed to just the changes that have occurred.
Therefore, a need exists to develop a synchronization process for the wireless development that is less complex, more efficient, and more robust than current wireless solutions.